Governments around the globe have established strict stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some of the most widely photographed spots on Earth more or less empty.
While it’s jarring to witness, say, Hollywood’s Walk of Fame or Mecca’s Grand Mosque nearly empty, it’s also impressive; seeing these locations virtually deserted is proof that we’re all making an honest attempt to flatten the curve by staying home.
Below are 36 photos of places across the world that are nearly empty due to our social distancing efforts.
Beijing
A woman wears a protective mask as she takes a photo on a nearly empty section of the Great Wall on March 27, 2020, near Badaling in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer via Getty Images
New York City
An empty 7th Avenue in Times Square on April 19, 2020, in New York City.
Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
London
Abbey Road zebra crossing on April 16, 2020, in London.
Barry Lewis via Getty Images
Cairo
A picture on April 18, 2020, shows the Great Pyramids lit in blue with the message “Stay Home” outside the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
KHALED DESOUKI via Getty Images
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
An empty staircase leading to the Batu Caves temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 30, 2020.
MOHD RASFAN via Getty Images
Llandudno, Wales
Mountain goats roam the streets of Llandudno, Wales, on March 31, 2020. The goats normally live on the rocky Great Orme but are occasional visitors to the seaside town; a local councillor told the BBC that the herd was drawn by the lack of people due to social distancing.
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
Los Angeles
The dinosaur atop the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium wears a mask to encourage people to take safety measures as coronavirus infections spread on April 19, 2020.
David McNew via Getty Images
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
An aerial view shows an empty white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca’s Grand Mosque on March 6, 2020.
BANDAR ALDANDANI via Getty Images
Pattaya, Thailand
The empty Legend Siam theme park in Pattaya on March 8, 2020. The park, which attracts up to 20,000 mainly Chinese customers a day in the high season, is temporarily closed.
MLADEN ANTONOV via Getty Images
Vatican City
A view of empty chairs at St. Peter’s Square before the live broadcast of Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus prayer on March 8, 2020, in Vatican City, Vatican.
Antonio Masiello via Getty Images
Sydney
A before-and-after composite image shows Bondi Beach with a large gathering of beachgoers on March 20, 2020 (top) and again on March 22, 2020, after the beach was closed to the public.
Jenny Evans via Getty Images
Tunis, Tunisia
Cats on a nearly empty street in the Medina neighborhood of Tunis, Tunisia.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Rome
A view of the Colosseum in the evening in Rome.
Pacific Press via Getty Images
Moscow
A pigeon sits in the Iberian Gate in a deserted Red Square on April 2, 2020.
Valery Sharifulin via Getty Images
Bangkok
A view of empty streets, shuttered bars, and closed restaurants on Khaosan Road on April 15, 2020 in Bangkok. April 13-15 marks Songkran, Thailand’s Buddhist new year celebration, when Thai people typically travel to the provinces to be with family or take part in large-scale water fights and parties throughout Bangkok.
Lauren DeCicca via Getty Images
Ballachulish, Scotland
Empty chairlifts at the Glencoe Ski Centre in Ballachulish, Scotland.
Jane Barlow - PA Images via Getty Images
Jerusalem
A man prays at the nearly empty Western Wall in the old city on April 6, 2020, in Jerusalem.
Guy Prives via Getty Images
Jumeirah Beach, Dubai
Empty sunbeds at Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai on March 12, 2020.
KARIM SAHIB via Getty Images
Paris
The Arc de Triomphe is almost deserted during lockdown on April 12, 2020.
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Aerial view of Guanabara Park during the coronavirus outbreak in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on April 5, 2020.
DOUGLAS MAGNO via Getty Images
Washington, D.C.
An empty Vietnam Veterans Memorial on April 14, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Anaheim, California
A lock hangs on the center gate between the turnstiles at the entrance to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on March 16, 2020.
MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images via Getty Images
Tehran, Iran
A photo on March 20, 2020, shows an empty street in Tehran, Iran.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Washington, D.C.
The empty Metro Center station on April 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
DANIEL SLIM via Getty Images
New Delhi
A closed Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) as India remains under lockdown on April 20, 2020, in New Delhi.
Getty Images via Getty Images
London
Looking east along Oxford Street from Marble Arch on April 16, 2020, in London.
Barry Lewis via Getty Images
Los Angeles
Contrasting images of morning rush hour on the 110 freeway a week before stay-at-home orders were issued in Los Angeles, and a photo of the freeway after the orders went into effect.
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Mexico City
A view of the almost-empty parking lot of a closed shopping center in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Mexico City on April 4, 2020.
ALFREDO ESTRELLA via Getty Images
Venice, Italy
Parked gondolas in a strangely desolate and silent Venice, Italy, on April 19, 2020.
Pietro D'Aprano via Getty Images
Baltimore
A lone passenger sleeps in an otherwise empty Amtrak car as the train pulls into Penn Station on April 9, 2020, in Baltimore.
Rob Carr via Getty Images
New York City
A view inside Grand Central Terminal during the coronavirus pandemic on April 19, 2020 in New York City.
Noam Galai via Getty Images
Venice Beach, California
Venice Skate Park, partially filled with sand to deter people from skating there, on April 17, 2020.
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Washington, D.C.
A March 31, 2020 photo shows a vacant metro station during rush hour in Washington D.C.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Normandy, France
The center of Etretat, Normandy, on April 20, 2020, on the 35th day of a strict lockdown in France.
LOU BENOIST via Getty Images
Istanbul
Roads and squares are empty in the Eminonu District of Istanbul on April 19, 2020.
Burak Kara via Getty Images
Tokyo
An empty street with no lights on in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood on April 19.
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
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